Assembling elevator lock



Dec. 6, 1938. A. e. SPERRY ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR LOCK I'NVENTOR Filed March 3, 1938 flerg ak 6. SP5 RY ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics ASSEMBLING ELEVATOR LOCK ration of New York Application March 3, 1938, Serial No. 193,775

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in typographical machines and more particularly to those of the class shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532, granted Sep tember 16, 1890, wherein character bearing matrices stored in a magazine are delivered therefrom, under control of a keyboard, to an assembling elevator or receptacle where they are assembled into lines from which type bars or slugs are cast, after which the matrices are returned by distributing mechanism to their appropriate channels in the magazine.

The invention relates more particularly to improvements in the portion of the matrix assembling mechanism in which the matrices are composed into lines preparatory to the delivery of the lines to the well known vise jaws between which the matrix line is clamped endwise while the type bar or slug is being cast therefrom, and its primary object is to prevent the delivery to the vise jaws of matrix lines composed to a length greater than the line measure for which the vise jaws are set.

In machines of this class, the assembler slide which advances against the tension of a spring as the matrices are assembled, is adjustable, as by a movable part thereon capable of being set to a desired line measure according to a scale and cooperable with a fixed stop on the machine frame, to limit the advance of the slide when the length of the composed matrix line corresponds to the measure for which the assembler slide and the fixed jaws are set. To enable momentary relief of a full line and thus facilitate removal or adjustment of matrices therein, as when correcting an error in the line, a pivoted lever, commonly known as a tight line release, is interposed between the adjustable part on the slide and the stop. However, should the operator manipulate this release for the purpose of crowding extra matrices into the line and thus avoid an improper split or break in forming a word, the assembler slide will be permitted to advance beyond the selected line measure. As a result, the composed matrix line will be too long to fit between the vise jaws and the end matrices in particular will strike against the vise jaws or become wedged against the end faces thereof, either of which conditions may and frequently does result in damage to these matrices.

The primary object of the present invention is to avoid the possibility of such a misuse of the tight line release and, to this end, it provides means whereby advance of the assembler slide beyond the point corresponding to the line measure for which the vise jaws are set will effect locking. of the usual assembling elevator or receptacle in which the matrices are assembled, so that the matrix line cannot be delivered to'the vise jaws. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, it provides a pin on the adjustable portion of the assembler slide which is adapted to enter a recess in the assembling elevator when the assembler slide advances beyond the line measure for which it and the vise jaws are set, this pin thus serving to lock the elevator against being raised as is customary for delivery of the composed line to the vise aws.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being poinmd out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the matrix assembling portion of a typographical machine of the class hereinbefore referred to, show-- ing the present invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, and partly in section, of a portion of the structure shownin Fig. 1, showing the assembling elevator lock in detail;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 2, showing the lock in engaging relation with the assembling elevator; and

Fig. 4 is'a detail vertical section, taken on the line 4- 1 in Fig. 2, showing the tight line release in active and inactive positions by full and dotted lines respectively, and its relation to the lock provided by the present invention.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the different figures.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the present instance applied to a machine of the class hereinbefore referred to wherein matrices M, stored in magazines, fall by gravity in r sponse to the operation of a keyboard, in the usual and well known way, through passages l between partitions Z of a so-called assembler front, and the matrices are conveyed on a travelling belt 3 over a star wheel 4 which throws them into upright or vertical position and stacks them in a line in a channel extending along the top of the usual assembling elevator 5. This channel is provided, as usual, with suitable ledges for supporting the matrices, and

; matrix in the line, by a brake :finger I will align with a reading a gate 6 along the front which is pivoted to swing forwardly to give access to the matrices in the channel when necessary to adjust or remove one or more of them in making corrections to the line during its composition.

The first or leading matrix in the elevator is supported against a vertical finger I secured to the left hand end of the usual assembler slide 8, this slide being connected at its other end to a link 9 pivoted loosely thereto and to the lower arm Iii of a lever which is pivoted at H to a stationary part of the machine frame, this lever having an upper arm |2 to which a tension spring i3 is attached, this spring being secured to a pin i4 secured in the machine frame. The assembler slide 8 is provided with teeth l5 spaced longitudinally along its lower edge and which normally engage a spring detent or look It carried by a slide By releasing this detent it by downward pressure thereon, the slide may be moved longitudinally along the slide 8 and located at any desired line measure position according to a scale IS on the slide 8, this scale being visible to the operator through a window or opening IS in the slide H.

As successive matrices are added to the line in course of composition in the channel of the elevator 5, the assembler slide advances step by step in a direction toward the left in Figs. 1 and 2, the line of matrices being constantly held together compactly between the finger and the star wheel 4, due to the tension of the spring i3, and the assembler slide is gripped, after each advance thereof incident to the stacking of a 20. When a line has been composed to a length corresponding to the line measure for which the slide I1 is set, the left hand end H of the slide engages against the side of a stop 2|, at which time the on a scale 22 corresponding to the reading on the scale IS. The composed matrix line is then complete and ready for delivery in the well known manner to the vise jaws 23 and 24, between which it is entered by the descent of the usual first elevator or line transporter 25, the vise jaws having been previously set as usual to the same line measure as the assembled slide.

To provide momentary relief of the endwise pressure on the matrix line between the finger I and the star wheel 4, a so-called tight line re lease is provided. For convenience, this release serves as the assembler slide stop 2| previously referred to and is preferably in the form of a lever pivoted on a stationary shaft 26 on which it hangs by gravity, this lever having a portion 2'! formed thereon which lies in the path of the end of the adjustable slide 7. By swinging this release lever or stop 2| from its normal position shown by the full lines in Fig. 4 to the dotted line position shown in this figure, the assembler slide can be pushed manually to the left a distance equal to the thickness of the lever 2 thereby relieving the matrices in the line from endwise pressure, and by swinging the gate 6 forwardly, one or more matrices may be freely lifted out of the line, as may be required for correcting an error, it being understood that the usual assembler slide brake 2|! will prevent f the assembler slide from returning toward the right after being manually advanced to the left for the purpose referred to. However, upon releasing the br-ake, the assembler slide will again be subjected to movement under the tension of the spring l3 and will return to the right against the matrix line, whereupon the lever 2| will fall by gravity into its normal full line position shown in Fig. 4 and the assembly of more matrices to complete the line can then proceed, if the line has not been composed to the desired length.

Should it happen that the release lever 2| is raised after the matrix line is composed to the length indicated by the setting of the slide IT, for the purpose of crowding one or more matrices into the line to avoid an improper split or break in forming a word, the assembled slide will then be free to advance to the left a distance equal to the thickness of the lever 2| and the composed line will then be longer, by the amount of such thickness, than the indicated line measure for which the assembler slide was set, and since the line measure setting of the vise jaws corresponds to the setting of the assembler slide, the composed matrix line would be too long to enter between the vise jaws. To prevent the delivery to the vise jaws of such lines as may be thus composed to an excessive length, the present invention provides a lock which will operate to prevent lifting of the assembling elevator. This lock, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, comprises a pin or projection 28 which projects from the left hand end of the slide 5?, this pin being located so that it may enter a recess 29 in horizontal alignment therewith formed in the right hand end of the assembling elevator 5. The recess 29 is of a depth at least equal to the thickness of the release lever 2|, and the pin 28 projects such a distance from the left hand end Il of the slide IT as to enter said recess only when the lever 2| is swung forwardly and thus raised out of the path of the end H of the slide I? and the assembler slide 8 together with the slide I! is advanced to the left, as by hand or by the introduction of extra matrices into the composed line.

According to the locking means thus provided, it will be evident that misuse of the tight line release lever 2|, as by raising it and then introducing extra matrices into the composed line in the assembling elevator, will result in the entering of the pin 23 into the recess 29 in the assembling elevator. Such engagement of this pin in the recess acts to lock the assembling elevator 5 against being raised in the usual manner to deliver the matrix line to the vise jaws which are not set apart far enough to receive it. In order to relieve the pin 28 from strain or avoid breakage in the event excessive force is applied to lift the elevator after the pin 28 has engaged in the recess 29, as shown in Fig. 3, a plate 3|! is provided which is fixed to a suitable stationary part of the machine frame, this plate having a lug 3| extending upwardly therefrom and provided with a bore 32 through which the pin 28 passes with slight clearance.

Although the present invention thus provides means for preventing delivery to the vise jaws of matrix lines which are too long to enter between them, the normal function of the tight line release whereby it may be manipulated to facilitate removal or adjustment of matrices in the line during its composition, as for the purpose of correcting errors, is not impaired or disturbed, it being understood that the matrix line may be released from endwise pressure for this purpose and in the manner hereinbefore de scribed at any time during its composition or when the line is fully composed to the desired length. However, if the tight line release is manipulated after a line is completely composed, for the purpose of making a correction in such a line, the advance of the assembler slide a distance equal to the thickness of the release lever will cause the locking pin to engage in the recess in the assembling elevator and thereby prevent raising of the latter until-the operator has caused the assembler slide to be retracted and has reset the release lever to its normal position.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a typographical machine having a receptacle for the assembling therein of lines of matrices of a predetermined length and movable to transfer such matrix lines therefrom, locking means normally inactive and movable in response to the length of the matrix lines in said receptacle, and means for rendering said locking means active for movement into engagement with said receptacle to prevent matrix line transferring movement thereof.

2. In a typographical machine having a receptacle for the assembling of lines of matrices therein and movable to transfer the lines of matrices therefrom, and releasable means for determining the length of the lines of matrices assembled in said receptacle, locking means normally inoperative and movable under control of the length of the matrix lines assembled in said receptacle, said locking means being engageable with the receptacle upon release of said releasable means to prevent its line transferring movement.

3. In a typographical machine having a receptacle for the assembling therein of lines of matrices of a predetermined length and movable to transfer such matrix lines therefrom, locking means normally inactive to permit line transferring movement of said receptacle and operative by a matrix line which exceeds such predetermined length to directly engage and lock said receptacle and thereby prevent line transferring movement thereof.

4. In a typographical machine having a movable matrix assembling receptacle, a member arranged to be advanced by the matrices as they are assembled in said receptacle, and a stop for determining the amount of advance of said member in accordance with the length of the line of matrices assembled in said receptacle, locking means normally inactive and movable into engagement with said receptacle in response to the advance of said member for restraining said receptacle from movement when the length of a line of matrices therein exceeds the length determined by said stop.

5. In a typographical machine having a movable matrix assembling receptacle, a member arranged to be advanced by the matrices as they are assembled in said receptacle, and a releasable stop for limiting the length of the line of matrices assembled in said receptacle, locking means normally inactive and movable under control of the length of a line of matrices in said receptacle, said member after release of said stop rendering the locking means movable into engagement with the receptacle to prevent movement thereof.

6. In a typographical machine having a movable matrix assembling receptacle, a member including a locking device arranged to be advanced by the matrices as they are assembled in said receptacle, and a stop for limiting the length of the lines of matrices assembled in said receptacle and releasable to relieve a tight line, said locking device being operative upon the release of said stop to engage said receptacle under control of said member to lock it against movement when the receptacle contains a matrix line which exceeds such limited length.

'7. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembling elevator, a slide arranged to be advanced by the matrices as they are assembled in lines in the elevator, and a stop for limiting the extent of advance of said slide, locking means normally inactive and movable with said slide into engagement with the elevator to lock it when the advance of said slide exceeds a predetermined amount.

8. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembling elevator, a slide arranged to be advanced by the matrices as they are assembled in lines in the elevator, and a stop for limiting the extent of advance of said slide and having means for rendering it inoperable, means operative while said stop is inoperable and movable with said slide to prevent movement of the elevator when the latter contains a matrix line which exceeds a given length.

9. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembling elevator, a slide movable therein by the matrices as they are assembled into lines, a stop for limiting the movement of the slide to determine the length of the lines, and a member operative to release said slide to relieve a tight line, locking means operative upon movement of said slide while released to lock the elevator when the slide is moved by a matrix line to an extent in excess of the line length determined by said stop.

10. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembling elevator, a slide movable therein by the matrices as they are assembled into lines, a stop for limiting the movement of the slide to determine the length of the lines, and a member operative to release said slide to relieve a tight line, a pin carried by said slide and movable thereby while released into locking engagement with the elevator when said slide is advanced beyond the limit determined by said stop.

11. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembling elevator, a slide mounted to advance as the matrices are assembled into lines in the elevator, a stop settable to limit the movement of the slide for the assembling of the matrices into lines of one or another predetermined length, and a member for rendering the stop inoperable and thereby release the slide to relieve a tight line, a device mounted to advance with said slide into locking engagement with the elevator while the stop is released and when the slide advances beyond the limit determined by the setting of the stop.

ARTHUR G. SPERRY. 

